Method and apparatus for continuously condensing oil-cracking still vapors



Jan 33 i928.

. R. FLEMING mmaon AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY CONDENS'ING OIL CRACKING STILL, VAPORS 2 Sheets-Shem; 1

wvmtoq Filed Nov. 19, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v R. FLEMING Filed Nov. 19. 1920 Jan. 3, 1928.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FdR CONTINUOUSLY CONDENSING OIL CRACKING S T'ILL VAPQRS paratus for continuously condensin 55 whereby the Patented Jim. 3,1928.

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" Application filedfl'ovembcr 19, 1920, Serial No; 425,644; sla n his main; Rover abet 2a, 1919.

v This invention relates to method and apoil craclnn vapors, and has for its o jects to enab e'oll crackindg still vapors to be eco- 5 nomically and rapi y condensed in a contmuons manner, without requiring a large investment ,ior a condensing plant, nor involving serious losses in and unsaturated hydrocarbo 7 March 23, 1918, patented December 23, 1919,

. #1,325,668, and in division thereof filed December 6, 1919, Ser. N 0. 343,051, patented October-25, 1921, No. 1,394,987, the broadsubject-matter of this inventionis disclosed,

wherein the vapor line of a pressure crack,

said ap The provide this applicationisa continuation in part of improvements in the condenser,

aperture can be readily adjusted to maintain the desired pressure, as

by a. needle, and also to provide means for water cooling the needle. The invention is shown-diagrammatically in the accompanyin drawings, 'wliereiiu,v iigure 1 1s anelevation partly insection of the divisional andcontinuation portions k of thisinvention, taken from the aforesaid .ap lications, u igure 2- 'a-diagram partly insection of a. plant the specificallydifierent formlof condenser,

- first to Figure 1, 1 represents a figrtionfof-h cracking still having the vapor I0 e2 leading to a union 3 which is conby pipe 4 to thebottom'of the still to return any heavy constituents wh1ch. con--' 'sdenseini 2 and also the union 3is congm'itor 'which to a permanent gases In my application, Ser. No.224=,443, filed.

' 'gure Sis aseetion on' of v a gure 6,is a sectionfon the line ofvalve 7 and byvaporlineS'to the nozzle 9, Y

the latter being constructedto hold the still pressure and to velocity into a mixing-passage 12, leading ron casing 13 and supplied with water by pipe I&. l5 is a shut off valve. In Figure 2, the parts are the same except for the detailsof the condenser and'water cooling arrangements nowflto be'described with reference to the improved formof condenser showp iii-detail in Figures3-7a Referring to Figure 3, the-vapor lined is connected to 'therfian'ge '20 of'a casing 21 -'varying in crosssection' from round to oval 1n;,0rder to give freest' flow of vapor, as shown in Figure 7. This casing 21 has at dischargethevapor at high till one side'a diaphragm 22,,provided with astuffing 100x23, and at the other side leads toa vapor nozzle-24. Passing through the shining b0x23-is a hollow needle 25fpreferglzi fationa- 7 ably also formed, with a restricted aperture her object of this invention is to box and. at its-rear end carries a bell mouth- 27' which receivesfthe water through inlet 28, the water also flowing inf'passage 29 around the outside-01:v nozzle 24. l The needleis reciprocatedby' a rod 30 having a screw 31 operated by a handle 32, 33-bemg guide lugs sliding'oii hrapk et 34 and preventing the needle jfrom turnmg.

In front of the'nozzle24 theexterior of the "Passag :is 1 6 Shaped nalmwingshown to the throat3 5, and. thence expanding again at 36. and' being, connected to an ordinary pipe 37 whichileads the-mlxture of gas, condensed vapor and water to suit-1Q in'gpressure cracking still vapors both in 28 is under pressureand where not un pressure, as ithas been found 1n actual practice that the sudden fall of temperature andable separating tanks or other means-not e s This invention is apphcablefor condensvolume'of the gasesand vaporsflue to the direct contact with the water is, so. great as to entrain the water and draw it alongin am 1e volume for condensingurposes,

this e ect'beinfi suflicient to t evwater H e v a w an appreciable ight. I a The cracking pressure will vary according to the particular process used up to several hundred pounds per square inch, but in practice I have condensed vapors from stills running at from 50 to 150 pounds pressure with uniformly good results in avoiding.

losses due to permanent ases and unsaturated hydrocarbons and the yield of usable gasoline or light liquid fractions has been appreciably greater where this invention has been used than under the same cracking conditions using previous forms of coil condensers. In addition, the plant investment is less, and practically no operating labor is required, whereas considerable superintendence and operating labor is required in coil condenser plants to periodically draw off the gases and condensate, maintenance, temperature control, etc. Moreover, a purifying operation is saved by having the condenser water carry purifying materials for treating the vapors and condensate during and after condensation, or in the settling tank to which the water, gases and condensate flow from the condenser. The shut off valve will ordinarily be used for cutting off the condenser, but if desired the condenser needle can be used for this purpose, as well as for varying the vapor nozzle area. While, an ordinary valve set to discharge the vapor at high velocity through a narrow opening into the water could be used, the hot vapors tend to have a scoring action on the valve and seat necessitating frequent adjustments and repairs, but the water cooled needle and the annular vapor discharge with the parts water cooled prevent this. By having the vapor discharged in an annular jet, it is further assured that the mixing and con-' densation will be eifected at the maximum rate with the water both inside and outside the jet. The rate of. condensation is so great owing to the high velocity of the vapors and direct instantaneous contact with the water, with rapid loss of heat and reduction of volume, thatth'e complex molecules of the cracked fractions have little or no tendency to break down into simpler gas or unsaturated more or less unstable hydrocarbon. molecules, as in cases where the rate of'condensation with reduction of temperature and volume, is slower. L

In other words, it is possible that the stabilizing efl'ect on the molecular structure is due to the exceedingly rapid reduction of a volume of vapor to a very much smaller ,Volume of liquid condensate, which is equivalent to applying a pressure with si- 'multaneous cooling much greater than is attainable in any condenser, and that the reason present day coil type of externally cooled condensers produce somuch as and unsaturated hydrocarbons is that t e' rate of coildensation is relatively so slow as 'not to prevent'the molecules from dissociating.

9 Inithe foregoing discussion, I refer to the gases and unsaturated hydrocarbons pro duced by faulty condensation, or condensa tion losses, and not to those produced as such in the cracking still, which latter vary with the process and the materials used, and the conditions of pressure and temperature, and from time to time. Even as to the latter or still losses, I believe that this invention eifects a gain in the recovery of unstable constituents which are condensable with this invention but dissociate and become incondensable in the usual forms of condensers.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the specific construction herein described without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

1. The combination with a pressure oil cracking still, of a pressure vapor line having an adjustable vapor discharge nozzle, and means for interiorly and exteriorly sup-' plying water to condense the vapor discharged from said nozzle by direct contact adjacent the nozzle. a

2. The combination with an oil still, of a vapor nozzle connected thereto, meansfor supplying water interiorly and exteriorly of said nozzle to condense the vapor discharge from said nozzle by direct contact adjacent the same, and a discharge passage shaped to increase the velocity of the water and condensate where much of the condensation occurs. v I

3. The method of condensing pressure cracked still vapors, which consists in discharging the vaporsin a jetin cbntact with water interiorly and exteriorly of the jet.

4. A condenser for cracked oil vapors comprising a casing having a connection for a vapor line leading to a nozzle, a water 'et surrounding the vapor nozzle, means or supplying water to the interior of the nozzle and adischarge passage forthe mixture of water and condensate.

5. The combination with a pressure oil' cracking still, of a vapor line terminating in a nozzle, means for supplying water to the interior of the nozzle, and means for varying the nozzle discharge area.

6. In a liquid jet type of oil vapor condenser, the combination with. an interior passageway, of a concentric passageway of deliquid and an.

the velocity of vapor flow through the conin controlling the discharge of said nozzle, denser, and means for cooling said valve means for supplying water through said with the condensing water. needle valve and into the dischar e from 4 8. An oil vapor condenser comprising in said nozzle, a water jet around sai nozzle, 6 combination an internaloil vapor passage-v a chamber for mixing the water with the way of decreasing diameter, a second and condensed vapor from the nozzle, and a stufi'- substantially concentric passageway of deing box through which said needle valve CI'uuSlIlg diameter for acondensing liquid passes, arranged to be cooled by the water surrounding said internal passageway, and a passing through said needle valve and 10 third passageway in Which said oil vapor around said nozzle.

and condensing liquid are adapted to be Signed at Martinez, in the county 0:! brought into direct contact while moving at Contra Costa, and State of California, this a rapid rate. 10th day of November, A. D. 1920.

9. The combination with a decomposing 15 still, of a vapor noz'zle, a needle valve there- RICHARD FLEMING. 

